Young Professionals - the New Budget : measures should Yield Positive Results 

The talk of the town is the Budget. This week, we have approached the current young generation to know what they think should be the priorities of the Minister of Finance. How can the government revamp our economy? What new measures should be brought? Insight. 

Jevin Purang : “Consolidate our diplomatic footprint in Africa” 

Referring to the previous Budget, Jevin Purang argues that the government must not only emphasise on consolidating our diplomatic footprint in Africa, but also needs to allow a bilateral cooperation with other countries. For him, this will facilitate the implementation of joint projects by Mauritian Enterprises with other international platforms.

“The government must spell out further actions with an aim to combat poverty. Since it is highly prevalent that social ills are rooted in inadequate and poor housing conditions, novel schemes to protect our citizens must be brought. For example, the construction of social and low-income housing units must be offered to vulnerable groups with a gradual payback policy. This will develop a new vision of a society without any families in absolute poverty.”

With an alarming amount of drugs permeating prisons in Mauritius, acquisition of more body scanners and an increase of manpower is required, he says. “In the same endeavour to reduce poverty, inflation rates must be protected. Subsidies provided previously in flour and bread must be made more effective for consumer well-being. As a result, government must earmark a substantial amount of money to address these issues of social protection.”

Farzeenah Shifaa Woodally : “Road safety should be a major concern” 

A major concern in the coming Budget should be road safety, states Farzeenah Shifaa Woodally. “Since the beginning of 2018, fatal accidents have been on the rise and have become a worrying factor for the authorities. To overcome this increasing trend, it is important to encourage the use of reflective accessories by vulnerable road users at night. The coming Budget should provide support to make roads safer, improve driver education and it is essential to create more infrastructures for pedestrians, especially in risky places, like on motorways. The state of some public buildings and public toilets are in horrible conditions. There is both misuse by the people and improper maintenance on behalf of the concerned authorities.” 

She further adds that “the upcoming Budget should also include solutions to combat crime and drug trafficking in the country, especially among teenagers. Providing new technologies and sophisticated policing are only part of a solution to eliminate this problem. The victims of addiction require rehabilitation and better treatment facilities. Measures have to be put in place to tackle the root of this particular issue.”

Tariq Jhungeer : “The government should review our infrastructure” 

Tariq Jhungeer argues that the government should really review the Metro Express project, whether it is worthwhile to be implemented in a tiny island like Mauritius or not.

“This is having a great impact on the economical factor of our country, as prices are on the rise, such as the price of petrol and bread, just to name a few. The government’s priority for the coming Budget should be in accordance with the road infrastructure in Mauritius. Firstly, there are so many roads that are not safe. In the same vein, it has been sadly noticed that our main roads are always chaotic with huge traffic jams. It is time to review this system and find solutions to these issues so that people can feel safe on our main roads.”

Yaadav Damree : “Creation of more SMEs” 

Yaadav Damree underlines that the government should put emphasis in the creation of more Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

“SMEs will resolve the problem of the workforce with the contribution of mechanisation. They contribute significantly to GDP growth around the world and ensure that there is proper flow of money across the economy.” He also highlights that the green and blue is economy is one to be catered for heavily. “The Budget must be such that it encourages both small and big farms to extend their activities and help as well in the contribution to the GDP growth. Lastly, the management of all sectors must be improved to increase better running of all institutions, notably hospitals.”

Vidhish Beeharry : “Revamp the cane industry” 

Vidhish Beeharry argues that the abolition of guaranteed sugar prices has affected the local cane industry.

“Accompanying measures can be brought to help the cane industry. Today, we can produce electricity from cane straw. Incentives can be given to encourage planters, small and estates alike, to generate additional revenue. The government can act as the facilitator to allow such small, yet meaningful accompanying measures to be implemented.”

He enumerates that “there are numerous ways and means that the government can use to address issues facing the island in terms of exposure to volatile fuel prices. The economy would stand to gain by additional incentives with respect to production of energy from renewable sources, such as solar energy or wind energy. The number of cars is on the rise. Minimum taxes on green cars/electric cars would help in decreasing the island’s reliance on petrol. The solar photovoltaic system is proving to be a success. The target must be to have a PV for each household.”

Yeshna Thumiah : “Government should invest more money in water supply” 

Yeshna believes that the government should invest more money in water supply across the country, as we are a small country and getting three to four hours of water supply per day is not convenient. Another priority should be the education sector where every school should be having a psychologist for counseling.

“The government should also grant subsidies to people for producing their own electricity in a more eco-friendly way. The government should review the working schedule of taxi drivers. They should rather work on a shift basis on roaster so that passengers have access to taxis from early morning to late evenings.”